Toyota Teams with Segway Inventor on “iBot” Wheelchair

Toyota Motor Corp. says it is working with Segway inventor Dean Kamen to relaunch an upgraded version of his DEKA Research and Development company’s iBot motorized wheelchair.  

The second-generation model is lighter, stronger and quieter than the first version, which was developed 16 years ago and sold for a few years before being discontinued in 2009. The new design also is expected to be more affordable than the $25,000 original, which failed to catch on in large part because of its hefty price tag.

Like its predecessor, the new iBot is designed to provide greater mobility for disabled and elderly people. It is capable of traversing rugged terrain, climbing stairs and raising a user’s seating positon—by rotating the front wheels to stack on top of the rear ones—so the occupant is eye level with a 6-ft tall standing adult.

The balancing technology is similar to that used on the Segway two-wheel electric scooter, which employs various sensors, gyroscopes and electric motors. As part of the new agreement, Toyota will license the balancing technologies for medical rehabilitative therapy and other potential uses.

Watch a video demonstrating the iBot’s capabilities here.